Comfort
by Eleanor J
Summary: Missing scene between House and Cuddy from 'Sex Kills'. HouseCuddy FriendshipUST.


Comfort

By Ellie

Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue. Just playing around.

A/N: I have broken one of my own rules and written a story when I'm in the middle of another. You'll have to blame my muse. She wouldn't let me work on the next chapter of Rediscovery until I got this out of my system. So here it is. Hopefully, she'll be more cooperative now and let me get working on Rediscovery.

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"You're mad at me. Fine. I get that. Take it out on me. Not on her," House said to Neuberger. Cuddy watched the interaction between the two men and held her breath. The son of a bitch was going to do it. House was going to convince this man, who hated his guts, to do things his way. The distraught husband looked at Amy for a moment and then back to House, the anger and pain evident on his face. Without any warning Neuberger grabbed House's arms and kneed him in the groin. 

Cuddy gasped in shock as she watched House moan, drop his cane and fall to the floor. She quickly made her way to him as she kept on eye on Neuberger to make sure that he wasn't going to do anything else. Mr. Neuberger's attention, however, was focused on Amy as he told her that her father could have his wife's heart, then he stormed out of the waiting room.

Cuddy knelt down beside House and placed her hand on his shoulder. He was shaking with pain. Cuddy looked up and realized that they had gathered a small audience. She glared at the hospital staff that were standing there, and they went back to work. Some of the patients stayed, though, and Cuddy decided she needed to get House someplace a little more private.

"Can you make it to my office?" she asked him.

His eyes were closed from the pain, but he nodded his head. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he braced himself against her, and together they got him into a standing position. Amy retrieved his cane and handed it to him. He took it without looking at her.

"Why don't you tell your father the good news," Cuddy told the young woman.

"All right," Amy replied. She paused in front of House. "Thank you, Dr. House," she told him quietly. "I know you're going above and beyond what most doctors would for my dad."

House looked away uncomfortably. "You heard Cuddy. Go away," he said as he forced Cuddy to start heading towards her office.

She opened the door and led him to her couch. She got him settled and left again. House watched her leave, in too much pain to make any smart remarks about leaving a patient in his time of need. She quickly returned with a chemical cold pack that she had activated. She handed it to him and he gingerly applied it to his crotch. He closed his eyes as he waited for the pain to subside a little.

Cuddy knelt down next to the couch and couldn't repress a little chuckle.

"My pain amuses you?" House asked as he opened his eyes to look at her.

"No," she answered honestly. "But it does amuse me that in a society where it is extremely bad form to be violent with someone who is disabled, you seem to get assaulted with frightening regularity."

"People have no respect for the crippled anymore," he groused.

She smiled at his tone and unconsciously began to run her fingers through his hair in a soothing motion. "No, House, you're special. In fact, you may be doing the physically challenged people of the world a favor by letting the general population know that the disabled can be assholes too."

"Yeah, that's me. Doing my part for humanity," he said. He knew that he should say something about her touching him. Something sarcastic. But the truth was that he was in so much pain, and her gentle strokes were so comforting, that he didn't want to do anything that would make her stop. He sighed contentedly.

Cuddy watched as his face became more relaxed. Her hand moved from his hair and began to lightly caress his cheek. He moaned quietly and turned his cheek into her hand. She suddenly realized what she was doing and pulled her hand away. House grabbed it and placed it back on his cheek. She looked into his eyes and saw that they were begging her not to stop. Cuddy looked away quickly, not sure what to do. A part of her said that this behavior was completely inappropriate. She wouldn't do this for anyone else on her staff, and she got enough flack over her relationship with House as it was without adding fuel to the fire. But when she looked into his eyes again, Cuddy found that she couldn't ignore his silent plea. She continued her gentle caresses and he relaxed again.

"So why do you like Mr. Arrington so much?" she asked, needing to break the silence.

"I don't like anybody," he said automatically. Cuddy gave him a look that let him know that she wasn't buying it. House closed his eyes and concentrated on her fingers as he answered the question. "He's someone who's been hurt by life, by … love, and he hasn't lost his sense of humor," he said quietly. "He's someone who wants to live, and I don't think that he should be denied that just because of how old he is. Twenty years is a long time. If the daughter gets busy, he could live to see his grandchildren graduate from high school."

Cuddy smiled affectionately. She doubted that Mr. Arrington realized how privileged he was to have earned House's respect, and, of course, she suspected that House would rather be kicked in the groin ten more times before admitting it to him.

House took a deep breath and slowly sat up. He gently removed her hand from his face, his gaze firmly fixed on the floor. "I have to get back to work," he said. He gingerly stood up, his discomfort apparent. Cuddy stood up as well and handed him his cane. He took it and gave her a quick glance. "Me and the band have to figure out what the dead woman had so we don't give it to Arrington," he explained.

He made his way to her door, his walk even more labored than usual. When he reached the door he turned around to face her.

"Thanks. For not leaving me there on the floor. I know you must have been tempted."

Cuddy smiled. "I was," she said, "but it tends to upset the patients to see someone writhing in agony on the floor."

House grinned at her remark. "That's right," he said. "You try to _avoid_ upsetting patients. I may have to try that some day."

"If you ever do, give me some warning so I can take pictures."

"I'll be sure to do that." He looked her straight in the eye to show her his gratitude. She smiled back, and he left her office to go solve the puzzle.

The End

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